Emergency Shelter

for Women & Children

Big News!

We’re honored to share that ACCESS has received a $1.25 million grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund to deepen our work to support families experiencing homelessness. We’re one of the 32 organizations across the country identified this year by an independent advisory group of homelessness experts for our efforts to help families in Summit County find stability and achieve wellbeing. We plan to use this powerful, uniquely flexible grant to help us serve more families, expand access to safe shelter, and deepen our wraparound services. We’re thankful for the Day 1 Families Fund’s support as we work to ensure that every family in our community has a safe, stable place to call home.  

Ways to Get Involved

Volunteer

Serve a meal, work our front desk, watch our youngest residents and so many more opportunities to make an impact!

Volunteer Today

Monthly Giving

With a waitlist of over 100 households a day, your support is essential in the fight to end homelessness for women and children.

Donate

Donate In-Kind Items

Donating essential items is critical in restoring confidence for the women and families we serve. Thank you for helping our residents feel their best.

See Our Wishlist

About ACCESS

Our mission at ACCESS Shelter is to encourage women in the attainment of permanent housing by providing a supportive environment that includes programs of education, advocacy, and empowerment.

Our vision at ACCESS is to aspire to be a sustainable leader in thought and execution, working with our partners to drive innovation in addressing homelessness and striving for a community where all women and children feel stable and empowered.

History: ACCESS, Inc. was founded in 1984 in Akron, Ohio, to provide shelter for homeless women and children, addressing a critical shortage identified by a local survey. It opened its first shelter in a former convent and expanded in 1996 to a larger facility. A transitional housing program, Step II, was added in 1997 and phased out in 2020 as ACCESS refocused on emergency shelter services.